Portfolio Review for Transfer Students

---

(For frosh, portfolio review is not an option. Portfolio review is only for transfer students.)

Although Art is not a screening major, students must complete one of two options in order to pursue the Art major at UCSC. One option is the portfolio review. The second option is to pass two ART 10 foundation equivalent courses. Find equivalent courses on assist.org.

It is advised that students complete all three of their lower division studios at the community college to be able to submit a high-level portfolio.  Students who do not pass the portfolio review or complete two ART 10 equivalent courses (even if accepted to UCSC) will not be eligible to take art classes at UCSC during the academic year and must pursue another major.  Applicants will know the results of the portfolio review before they have to submit their Statement of Intent to Register to the Admissions Office.

APPLICATION DEADLINE FOR ENTERING JUNIOR TRANSFER STUDENTS: April 1st 2025 (Applications must be received by that date). Submit your application via the google form that was emailed to you. If you did not receive the email form by March 1st, please email artadvisor@ucsc.edu 

Application Materials:

1. Application form
2. Optional Written Statement – 350 words maximum!  
3. Copies of transcripts from all colleges you have attended or are attending (unofficial is fine as long as the name of the college in on the transcript).  NOTE: we cannot obtain the transcripts you submitted to the UCSC Admissions Office.   
4. Include 5-8 quality images of finished artwork.  When setting up your PDF, please have it so that when the faculty open it all images are in one file and open at the same time.  Do not make separate files for different media (sculptures, paintings, drawings, etc) 

NOTE: Submit your application via the google form that was emailed to you. If you did not receive the email form by March 1st, 2025, please email artadvisor@ucsc.edu  All documents should be PDFs.  Do not submit Google Docs.  

Portfolio:

The shared images in your portfolio introduces your work to the Portfolio Review Committee.  It is in your interest to submit images of high technical quality; the images should be clear and well-presented so as to show your work accurately.  Details or close-ups may be helpful when documenting detailed work, or work where the surface is important.  Materials submitted should be organized to show your work in the most favorable way.

Portfolios Should:      

• Show a range of work produced in your art class   
• Focus on quality as opposed to quantity.                 
• Indicate time spent to achieve a strong resolution.  
• Show thought given to the generation and execution of the work.  
• Show attention to use of materials and processes.  
• Provide evidence of exploration in form and technique.  

Portfolios Should Not:

• Show work of low quality along with work of high quality. 
• Include high school work unless it is truly exceptional.

General Information on the Portfolio Review:

PORTFOLIO REVIEW COMMITTEE:   

In order to select its students, the Art Department appoints a rotating Portfolio Review committee.  This committee reviews portfolios from transfer students. The objective of the committee is to admit students who demonstrate, as evidenced in their portfolio, that their intentions and achievements are most compatible with the mission, standards, goals, and specializations of the Art Department.   

In general, the art work submitted via PDF is of primary interest to the committee.  The committee expects these materials to be adequately documented and to be carefully and clearly presented.  The committee is a group of experts in their fields, and their expertise includes an understanding of how to interpret visual materials.  They are skilled at “reading” the visual evidence presented in the images and in detecting the commitment and accomplishment of the applicant. 

WHAT DOES THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE LOOK FOR?   

The portfolio review committee is looking for 5-8 images of your finished art works from courses taken at your Community College or Prior Institution. You are welcome to include a written statement, but it is not required.

The Art Department is also concerned about each student’s professional expectations as they relate to our program.  We want our departmental offerings to coincide with each student’s expectations and skills in a productive and meaningful way.  If you are interested in specializing in graphic design or illustration we recommend another institution or program as UCSC does not have a specialty in these areas. We believe that such students would best be served by entering another program in another college or university that is geared toward these art forms.   

Written Statement:

Your written statement an optional part of the portfolio.  Evaluation is based upon signs of a student’s potential for joining theory and practice in his or her creative activity.  The optional Written Statements:   

• Include comments on your art background, your reasons for choosing to concentrate in art, some of the ideas in which you are currently interested, and indications of future areas you would like to explore.  
• Discuss the work you’ve submitted in the written statement.  
• Address your recent (college) art background (as opposed to your childhood experiences in art).  

Evaluation Criteria:

The Portfolio Review Committee is looking for candidates who give evidence of strong promise in the field of the Fine Arts.  When evaluating your portfolio and statement, ask yourself these questions:   

• Does the documentation of your work communicate its quality?  
• If you included a statement: Is your statement clear?  Does it touch on all the topics requested above?  

For more information

Contact the Art Department undergraduate advisor
Email: artadvisor@ucsc.edu